#jatp reggie fic

[g1rld1ary]

new release ; luke patterson x fem!reader

➻ synopsis: you'd been playing julie and the phantom's new album on repeat all day before luke comes knocking on your door, and you end up going to dinner with your favourite band

➻ word count: 2515

➻ content: she/her pronouns for reader

➻ wrote this on a whim tonight so enjoy my first luke fic lol !!

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You tapped your fingers impatiently against your desk, willing Spotify to reload quicker, visualising the album you knew was dropping in two minutes. Finally, after 120 seconds that could have been an hour, Julie and the Phantom’s new album was out and available, and you actually might’ve been the first person to listen to it.

You’d been following Julie and the Phantoms since their very first performance was put on YouTube. Admittedly you’d been hopping on the bandwagon — your friends had been raving about it at school and force-fed you their songs, but you’d been genuinely addicted to their music ever since.

Pressing play on the new album you got up, leaving it to play as you began on your errands for the day. You danced around your apartment, putting away the washing and vacuuming and humming along to the singles that had already been released.

Luke was on his way home from his morning run when he could have sworn he could hear his own voice. Stopping, he pulled an earbud out of his ear, looking around for the source of the music. And there, on the third floor, was you. You were out on the balcony, organising the cute set of outdoor furniture you’d shoved in there and dancing ridiculously to Luke’s personal favourite song of the album. He let out a quiet laugh to himself, admiring the carefree way you jumped around, miming the chorus you’d learnt into a can of what appeared to be bug spray. He smiled once more before heading into the building, musing about the odds of having a Phantoms fan live on his floor.

Back up in his apartment he could still hear the music, both your open windows making it sound clear despite not being obnoxiously loud. Luke just shook his head, heading straight to the shower and turning on his own music so he didn’t have to be victim to his own voice all day.

An hour later, you were still listening. You’d just finished the album and evidently wanted to commit it to memory before the day was through. Luke thought it was adorable, and he could feel the gratitude flowing through every inch of him. This was why he wrote music, to resonate with people and make them happy. Plus, now that he knew the cute girl who’d just moved into the apartment opposite him liked his band, he figured he could build up some confidence to talk to you.

Morning turned to afternoon, and you were still playing his album. Luke was flattered, but in slight disbelief. He couldn’t believe you weren’t sick of it yet, though he supposed you didn’t get the same ick he did when listening to his voice. Hearing you learning the words was another bonus, your voice floating in through his kitchen window as he cooked. He thought it was lovely, though far from professional. It was an unreal experience hearing your disembodied voice stumbling through the lyrics, making up ones you’d evidently misheard and improvising your own riffs on top of Julie’s.

Luke wondered whether it was possible to develop a crush on someone based on just their voice. Yeah he thought you were cute the few times he’d seen you coming or going through his street facing window, but your laughter when your voice cracked had him weak in the knees.

When you were still playing his music by four o’clock — you’d branched out to mixing in the rest of their discography by then — he was a little worried for your sanity. Flattered and grateful for the streams, but concerned all the same. At the same time he was worried for himself. He’d offered to host his band and friends for a private celebration of the album release after the official party the night previous, and he thought it may be a little on the nose if you were still streaming their music into the night. He could already hear Alex making fun of him for living next to a fangirl (he did secretly hope you were a fangirl of him though).

So, whilst it wasn’t exactly the meet-cute he’d hoped for, Luke found himself knocking on your door. He knocked again shyly when he heard you turn down the volume, clearly trying to see if you’d heard right. A few soft footsteps on the other side of the door and it was cracking open, your curious expression greeting him. You’d only just moved in and didn’t know anyone to be visiting.

Luke watched you go through the seven stages of grief in real time. Confusion at an unexpected visitor, recognition of him, and then a million shades of humiliation as you realised you’d been listening to his music all day and he could hear. God, you probably looked like an obsessed fangirl (you were, but you didn’t want Luke Patterson to know that). With an embarrassed sound coming from the back of your throat, you asked Luke to give you twenty seconds of privacy. He agreed politely and you shut the door quickly. Slapping a hand to your mouth, you let out a silent scream, trying to let out all your anxious, embarrassed energy as quickly as possible, shaking your limbs about so you could stand still when you inevitably had to grovel for forgiveness to Luke.

Reopening your door, you were taken aback by how at ease Luke looked. And how much hotter he was in person, but you tried to push that thought to the back of your head for the sake of coherent conversation.

“Hi,” You said, resisting the urge to ramble out apologies.

“Hi,” He replied with that stupidly charming grin he wore in all his publicity shoots. “I’m Luke.”

“I know.” Fuck, you didn’t mean to say that. “Um, obviously. I’m sure you’ve heard all the…” You gestured inside to your apartment where his album was still playing quietly. You should’ve turned it off.

“Please don’t be embarrassed, it’s really cute.” Now your blush was for a totally different reason, your favourite singer was calling you cute? You had to be dreaming.

“Is there something I can do for you?” You asked, still unsure of the purpose of the visit, though you weren’t complaining.

“Oh!” Luke looked as if he really had forgotten why he’d come, but covered himself with an easy laugh, “I was just wondering if you could turn down your music a bit? It’s not too loud or anything, it’s not bothering me! It’s just, I’m having the band over tonight and as much as we’re all proud of the album, it feels a bit conceited to have it playing as we hang out privately, y’know?” You were nodding vigorously before he could finish his sentence, spilling out apologies for even playing it in the first place.

“Seriously don’t apologise,” He assured you, catching your eye in a way that made you feel like you couldn’t look away (not that you would’ve wanted to), “I really appreciate you being a fan and supporting us.” In that moment, entranced in his deep honey eyes, you honestly would have done whatever Luke Patterson asked of you, you were completely his. Maybe your parasocial relationships needed some examining.

Forcing yourself to end the moment despite your internal desires, you averted your eyes to the floor and Luke coughed slightly, both of you somewhat dazed.

“Right, well, it was really nice meeting you. Big fan. Guess I’ll see you around?” You said awkwardly, stepping back inside the threshold of your flat. Luke nodded in the same manner, and you were about to shut the door when he called for you to wait.

“Do you wanna come over later? You can meet the band, and it’s always helpful to make some friends in the building. I, uh, know you’re new here.” You nodded, more than surprised, but you sure as hell weren’t gonna turn down this opportunity.

“Yeah, that sounds nice. Thanks.” Luke named a time and you parted ways, neither of you catching the backwards glances you both chanced.

Inside your apartment was a whirlwind of stress. What did you wear for a dinner with your favourite band with an hour’s notice? You might’ve actually tried on half your wardrobe before deciding on your favourite jeans (maybe the ones that made your ass look impeccable, but who’s to say?) and a simple top. It wasn’t the most exciting outfit you could have come up with, not by a long shot, but you didn’t want to make a single wrong decision tonight. All you needed to do was be completely perfect and impress Julie and the Phantoms and maybe get Luke to like you back. Easy stuff.

By the time you were meant to be going you’d managed to do your makeup in a way that didn’t make you want to cry — why did it always turn out awful when you needed it to be good? Slipping your favourite hoops into your ears you were ready, and gave yourself a quick pep talk in the bathroom mirror. You’d never been one for those self-love affirmations, but they couldn’t hurt, right?

When Luke opened the door and his face broke into one of those smiles that lit up the building’s corridor, your nerves quieted themselves somewhat. He swept you under one of his arms leading you further into the apartment as if you’d been friends for years. You tried to take in what you could, and were a little jealous of how nicely his place was decorated — yours was still loaded with boxes and junk.

“Guys, meet my new friend!” Luke announced, and all the heads in the room snapped towards you.

“Um, hi,” You said meekly, remembering to tell them all your name.

“She’s new to the building and I thought it would be nice for her to make some friends!” You smiled internally — Luke had the same personality as in all the interviews you watched, which made you glad. You didn’t know what you would do if he wasn’t all that you imagined.

The night started out a little awkward, at least for you. You were so stressed about making a good impression that you felt a little robotic, answers calculated to try and get the most amount of laughs or agreements. Luke noticed this and gestured for you to take the seat between him and Julie when the meal was served, figuring you’d have the most in common with her, and he was more than happy to talk your ear off if the opportunity arose.

“So, why’d you come to California?” Julie asked, and you explained that you’d moved for school, but it was cheaper to rent the flat than live in the dorms. That in itself was an easy avenue into talking about your roommate who was never around and the classes you were taking this semester. When you asked about Nick, who was sitting on Julie’s other side, he happily joined the conversation to talk about how they got together just after the Phantoms began to get world famous and their (first) show at the Orpheum.

The dinner was loud and messy, and you began to feel right at home. With Reggie flicking beans at Alex, and Luke’s boisterous laughter ringing over conversation, there was a familial ambience to it all.

After the meal the group migrated towards the TV, and you found yourself next to Luke again, sandwiched between him and Willie, who introduced himself as Alex’s boyfriend. You recognised him from Alex’s Instagram, but you left that fact out. You found yourself making easy conversation with them, being the four who got Luke’s couch, whilst the others made themselves at home in armchairs and other seats scavenged from around the flat.

As you spoke to the couple about a restaurant in LA they were recommending, you felt a hand land on your thigh. A glance in his direction showed it was Luke’s, of course, but if his expression was anything to go by he was all but unaware, still speaking passionately to Nick about something. You tried to conceal your blush as your turned back to the gays, but the knowing looks had you hiding your face in your hands.

A movie was turned on and the chatter dulled somewhat, turned down to whispers over the dialogue. You didn’t know how you’d ended up cuddled up into Luke’s side, but you were absolutely not complaining. His arm on the back of the sofa had migrated to sitting around your waist at one point, and you were really hoping he couldn’t feel your racing heartbeat. An accidental glance in Julie’s direction showed her and Nick wiggling their eyebrows suggestively, to which you simply made a bewildered expression, hoping it conveyed how little idea you had of what was going on. Unbeknownst to you, Luke was fighting the same losing battle with the rest of the boys, who were making childish kissy faces when you weren’t looking. Luke handled it better than you, merely shrugging as if to say ‘she’s cute — what do you want me to do?’

A few hours later and the night was winding down. You took your leave after Reggie, not wanting to risk overstaying your welcome and jeopardising the friendships you hoped you were making. The remaining guests all gave you warm goodbyes, begging for you to come back again. Julie even swept you into a tight hug, making you promise you’d DM her to go out for coffee soon. Luke walked you to the door, a gentle hand on the small of your back not going unnoticed by his friends.

“Thanks for coming tonight, I’m really glad we met,” He said, and his shyer tone caught you off guard, but made you smile nonetheless.

“Thank you for inviting me,” You countered, “It was really sweet of you to introduce me to all your friends.” Luke waved it off like it was nothing, which you were sure to him it was.

“Can I see you again soon?” He asked, suddenly looking remarkably like a little puppy.

“I’m only a door away,” You grinned, “You can see me whenever you like. Hey, congrats again on the album. I’d say it’s pretty good.” When you pressed a kiss to his cheek and bade him goodnight, Luke couldn’t have resisted his cheesy grin if he’d tried.

“I love being a rockstar,” He said when he returned to his friends.

“Shut up, man,” Replied Alex, “You’re too whipped to claim any rockstar benefits on this one.”

[kkqueergurl]

if yall weren’t sold on the jatp season 2:

I present my evidence

[read-write-thrive]

JATP x DBDA crossover where the Phantoms are free but Willie still isn’t and Caleb is playing dirty now that the boys have bested him (possessing Nick but also cmon he definitely has more magic up his sleeve) so they start trying to figure out Magic on their own, which is really just Julie and Flynn googling things and trying out various types of magic/spells/scam artists in the area, only for someone to come across something to do with the DBDA who are happy to take the case 👀

I have too many WIPs for this but just some ideas floating around my head:

- Crystal at first butts heads with Julie and Flynn (residual mean girl tendencies/differing senses of humor) but end up bonding over being surrounded by (dumb) dead teenage boys

- None of the Phantoms are good at proper spells but their music 100% has magical properties that is utilised in whatever final battle type event happens

- Edwin has come to terms with Charles’s eccentricities but the Phantoms are a whole other type of teenage boy and I think he would be just so catty about it all. Like why are they cute and so stupid this is ridiculous why the Hell did we even take this case can they please take this seriously

- Charles and Reggie vibe. I don’t make the rules

- Flynn can’t see the boys either which naturally leads to hijinks

- Monty attends a concert (he deserves to have fun) and while I considered him being the link between the two groups I think it would be funnier if he decided to go to a concert and runs into them coincidentally

- Based on a precursory AO3 search I’ve seen some fics where Monty gets in trouble with Caleb which makes sense with the whole magic familiar angle but I’m not copying here so I won’t get into that

- I think Willie interacting with DBDA would be wild. Like. Dead pretty boy with a sense of humour and tragic backstory? They’re all swooning fr

- Niko (shhh) gets along with Julie and Flynn IMMEDIATELY like they are talking about shows and DIYing things together and it’s great

- Crystal gets along better/faster with Julie and Flynn with Niko present fs

- There’s at least one dance number with everyone involved

- possessed!Nick is still trying to woo Julie and not only do we get the Phantoms side eyeing him but now we get the DBDA just openly judging him (Crystal roasts the shit out of that fedora and she’s RIGHT)

- Crystal would decimate any of Carrie’s attempts at being bitchy so I think we have to redeem Carrie for that reason alone

- DBDA goes to a JATP concert and the boys are actually awful at vibing there. Like Crystal is relatively normal (idk if it’s her scene but she’s been to concerts before) but Edwin does not know what to do at a modern concert and Charles is used to a much different style of dancing/concerts (I don’t know enough abt aka punk to elaborate unfortunately but ykwim)

- girls night includes style swapping bc the DBDA girlies deserve some butterfly clips and the JATP girlies deserve some eyeliner

- in the nature of JATP I don’t think Caleb gets sent to hell in the end but I do think his ending needs to be ridiculous. Like have him get the Night Nurse treatment and get eaten by that fish so he can be redeemed by Kashi

- not to bring up Monty again but I think he sticks around and keeps up with the JATP crew more than the DBDA (he is not interested in any more of that Hell/monster energy and that’s so valid of him)

- montage of Edwin and Charles teaching the Phantoms ghost abilities (I can’t remember if/how they vary between shows but if so shhh or explain it away yk)

- Unseen Emily reprise and it’s all the boys mourning loved ones. Just for the feels.

- Actually just more backstories for everyone please

- Love ballad/slow song that Willex and/or Payneland dance to 🥰

- Palasaki being openly in love (which inspires whatever the Flynn x Carrie ship is bc I love them)

[bbreaddog]

Good morning, sluts!

(Drabble prompt courtesy of @1mnobodywhoareyou)

“Good morning, sluts!”

Julie groans, covering her face. “Flynn, I told you not to call us that.”

“Hey, why not?” Reggie whines to her left. “I like it. It’s reclamation.” 

“Reg, you can’t do that,” Alex interjects at the same time Julie asks, “You’re reclaiming ‘slut’?”

Reggie looks between them, bewildered. “Yeah?”

From the back, Luke snickers. “Alright, so Reggie’s a slut, then.” 

“Hey, wait — what?”

Julie laughs, shaking her head. “Okay, then!”

Flynn lets out a forced laugh. “Yeah,” they reply to the dust particles floating in the sunlight. “Good one!”

Julie raises a brow. 

Flynn catches her eye and shrugs. “What? I can be part of the conversation.” 

“Do you even know what’s happening?” 

“Sure. When you tell me.”

Julie rolls her eyes fondly and recounts the silly exchange. She’s so lucky to have these friends.

[1mnobodywhoareyou]

You cannot convince me that these boys were "cool". Were they the bottom of the social hierarchy? Probably/maybe not. But they absolutely were not cool kids. At least not within their school.

[starlady-baby]

Random headcanon that I’ve had for a while: Reggie wrote the “hello Bobby” on Bobby/Trevor’s mirror.

We know Luke’s handwriting. It’s all over the place, it’s a scribbly illegible mess, given the many comments by the whole group and seeing his handwriting in Unsaid Emily.

We also see Alex’s in Stand Tall, and it’s pretty neat actually- and besides that he definitely has the neatest handwriting of the group. (Julie’s is probably pretty nice too though-)

Anyway, we never see Reggie’s and I’d like to think it’s messy but still readable, hence why I think he wrote on the mirror.

Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.

[juneberrie]

BABE FOR THE WEEKEND reggie peters

author's note giggle giggle i loooove reggie peters

word count 0.4k

warnings fem!reader, fake dating, this is set in the 90s giggle giggle

ᥫ᭡ little romantic gestures ; trying to cook their favorite dish + pulling them in the warmest hugs

"reggie is something burning?" you ask. dropping your bag on the couch, you made your way into the shared tiny kitchen in the apartment that you, reggie, alex, and luke shared. seeing that the only pair of shoes on the living room carpet were reggie's, you assumed luke and alex were at work.

"no!! everything's fine," he yells.

"see, when you say 'everything's fine' its not reassuring." reggie stands in the middle of the kitchen holding a smoking pot, a panicked expression on his face.

"heyyyy." he drags out the word. "how are youuuuu?" he quickly tosses the contents of the pot into the sink. immediately making your way over to the sink, you peer in.

reggie picks you up by the waist and lifts you up into the air and away from the sink.

"how the hell do you burn spaghetti?" you laugh. reggie puts you down and smiles awkwardly.

"i was trying to make your favorite," he offers, pointing to the canned sauce on the scratched counter.

"why?" you ask. reggie cannot cook for the life of him. alex literally put up a sign (a sticky note on the fridge) saying he wasn't allowed to do anything more than microwave leftovers.

"i... have a favor to ask you," he starts. you groan and roll your eyes.

"this can't be good."

"no, no i swear it's not as bad as you think. its like super simple, please," he says.

"can't you ask luke or alex?" you say, going to the dishwasher to grab a (probably) clean glass. you fill it u with water as reggie follows you around the small space like a puppy dog.

"no. it has to be you," he deadpans. you turn and lift the now-full glass to your lips, gesturing for him to get on with it. "ineedyoutopretendtobemygirlfriendfortheweekendprettyprettyplease," he blurts out, face turning scarlet.

"hold on. say that all again, slowly." you finish off your glass and put it into the sink, next to the blackened spaghetti strands.

"i need you to.. pretend. to, uh, be my girlfriend?" upon seeing your expression, reggie adds, "just for the weekend! please! bobby's been on my ass about not having one and i really just wanna wipe that smirk off his fake-vegetarian fa—"

you cut him off. "sure."

"sure?" his face splits into the widest grin. he grabs you by the shoulders and pulls you into the warmest hug you've ever received, even surpassing the one alex gave you when he had the flu and a fever higher than everest. "you're seriously the best, y/n."

"hey, hey! only for the weekend!" you laugh into his worn flannel as he lifts you off your feet and spins you around.

"i love you! you're amazing," he says, putting you down and running out of the room, the biggest smile on his adorable face.

you look down at the burnt spaghetti in the sink. "i love you too, reg," you murmur.

[siriusly-rem-writes]

Where Will We End Up? (Headcanons/Context)

In honor of the resurfacing of JATP S2 rumors, here's some context set in the WWWEU? Universe.

Warnings: mentions of absent fathers, relationships with parents, implied hostile home environment, use of Y/N, Alex is Catholic, implied homophobia, female reader (Let me know if I missed something!)

Luke Patterson

Born November 25, 1977 (13 at the start of the story)

The oldest of the group

Born and raised in Canada

Moved to LA when he was 12 for his 8th-grade year

Only child

Lives with both his parents

Has a good relationship with both but struggles to communicate with his mom more

His dad plays guitar and taught him how to play

Has ADHD

Has a slight accent 

And a stutter

Started cutting the sleeves of his shirts because too much fabric bothered him 

Was overstimulated on the first day of school 

He bumped into Alex in the cafeteria causing both of their trays to fall down

It was his last straw and he exploded

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!”

Y/N put him in his place after he yelled at Alex

He looked for them a few days later to apologize

“I uh, brought cookies?”  

He brings cookies every time he messes up

Doesn’t have physical boundaries with his friends 

It took getting smacked on the forehead by Bobby many, many times for him to understand not to hug him unprompted

Emily loves hosting 

The group used to sleep over at Luke’s a lot 

The more serious Luke got about music, the more arguments he had with his mom

It got so bad he eventually ran away from home

He actually wasn’t allowed in Alex’s room alone anymore after they got caught kissing

Every time he went over to Alex's the air was tense

He stopped showing up the way he used to, instead opting to sneak in

He picked up a job as a waiter at a local diner

The group loves to go in just to terrorize him

Firmly believes that you choose your family and he chose his

Isn’t bad at school, he just can’t focus on it for the life of him

Gets detention a lot because he gets caught not paying attention

The reason they have a zero-tolerance after 3 tardies rule 

He takes boxing lessons with Jose Camacho to release his pent-up energy 

Forgets he knows how to fight

Reggie Peters

Born May 06, 1978 (12 at the start of the story)

Third oldest of the group

Born and raised in LA

Lives by the beach 

Likes to sneak out and listen to the waves 

Can surf

Lives with both his parents 

But he doesn’t have a good relationship with either 

He doesn’t hate them nor have they directed anything at him, he just wishes they’d listen and spend more time with him

Only child

But he babysits Diego Miller, the little boy next door who he decided was his little brother

He’s not as dense as he makes himself out to be 

He just doesn’t like to think about things too much because it stirs his feelings 

Really good at Math and Science

He likes that it's logical thinking, not emotional

Doesn’t like English because it requires him to tap into emotions and he really doesn’t want to 

He doesn’t like History either because it leaves him bothered by the shitty and unfair past

Has selective mutism 

It kicked in badly during one of his parents' fights 

The longest he’s gone mute was 2 months

It kicks in every now and then but not for as long and not around everyone 

He learned ASL because of it 

Sometimes he uses it outside of an episode just because it’s easier 

Everyone else tries to pick it up, levels of proficiency vary

He found “Wright’s Domain” a comic book shop one day after he had walked out of his house

He spends most of his Summers there

He sits in the same bean bag

The more time he spent there, the more he found himself doing random things 

He’d reorganize comics, reposition figurines and when someone asked him where they could find a specific section he pointed them to it 

The couple that owns the store started to notice him

They left snacks by his bean bag chair with a note thanking him for fixing up

He wrote back a thank you with a doodle of himself holding two thumbs up and an arrow pointing out his name was Reggie 

The snacks waited for him every visit

His voice did come back, at the shop 

He spoke to the owners, Donna and Michael, quite often, they love hearing about his day 

He eventually got a job there

Ended up bringing everyone one day

He was a little nervous because the shop was his safe space but so was the group

The owners loved the group too

Donna and Michael live in THE house

Alex Mercer

Born August 23, 1978 (12 at the start of the story)

Second to last youngest

Lives with both his parents 

The eldest

He has a younger sister named Sophia 

Had a good relationship with both his parents up until he came out

Always watches out for his sister

He plays tea party and dresses up with her

His dad made a comment about it and Alex stopped doing it so frequently

Grew up Catholic 

He never really thought much of it until he noticed he looked at boys a lot for being a boy himself

He’s not the biggest fan of it anymore

Was already an anxious kid but as he got older; his religious background, his dad's expectations, and being more aware of the world's problems made his anxiety skyrocket

He fidgets by tapping his fingers on a surface or hitting his thighs with his hands 

His parents got him a drum set to help ease it

He met Y/N when they were 7 

He defended her against a bully

He got detention

She walked home with him that day and they realized they lived 3 streets down from each other

Really wants to make his dad proud 

His dad has a lot of traditional views of men which contradict with Alex 95% of the time

His first crush was on Ryan, a boy he went to church with, but he didn’t know it yet 

His stomach dropped when he saw Ryan and another girl share a quick kiss at the park

Developed a crush on Luke  

His first kiss and boyfriend was Luke 

His dad opened the door to Alex’s room and caught them kissing 

His dad stood there, closed the door and walked away

His dad didn’t speak to him at all through dinner

The next day, his dad told him he’d take him to church to repent

Alex said no and came out when he was 15

They got into an argument

His dad didn’t kick him out (to save his image) but told him that until he repented, he wasn’t his son

He was the first to meet Reggie 

They’re in the same Math class and the teacher asked Reggie to tutor him 

They met up after school twice a week

Alex wasn’t looking for a friend but Reggie being the social butterfly he is, didn’t care

The more times they saw each other, the more Alex got used to him and his antics 

He actually understood Math the way Reggie would teach him

One day Luke didn’t want to go home because he had fought with his mom and Y/N was busy, Alex found Reggie to tell him he had to stick to Luke 

Reggie told him Luke was welcome to join their session

Luke sat across from them and wrote in his journal but was still fidgety 

Reggie cut the tutoring session short and invited them out for ice cream

Alex questioned his life choices as Luke and Reggie’s loud personalities mixed

He initiated his and Luke’s first kiss 

And then immediately panicked before Luke laughed and pulled him back in

He was the one who broke up with Luke

There was an awkward air for like 2 minutes before they talked about everything and went back to being best friends

Bobby Shaw

Born March 16, 1978 (13 at the start of the story)

The second oldest of the group

Never knew his dad

Lives with his mom and grandma

Has a good relationship with both

Only child (not really but we'll get into that later)

Keeps to himself mostly

Skates

He paints, though he doesn’t like people looking at his art 

Took an art class during his freshman year 

He never did anything in class

He’d do it at home and sneak in the assignment the next day, nameless

His art teacher caught him one time and told him he’d leave the art room open for him to do his assignments so as long as he starts signing his name

He spends a lot of time in the art room

Close to the art teacher, Mr. Cervantez 

He was the first positive male influence in his life

Befriends Y/N first, she takes an art class with him

He’s actually not sure how to handle social interactions 

He’s pretty awkward 

He helped Luke on their first week of high school

Luke was being picked on and they had taken the beanie off his head 

He stopped Luke from launching himself at the other guys 

“Come on guys, give it back.” 

One of the guys looked at him questioningly 

Bobby stood his ground

The guys tossed the beanie back at Luke and Bobby walked off as soon as they left

Luke approached him weeks later and he internally panicked the whole time

Has problems with authority 

That guy that will touch something after you said not to 

His grandma hates that he does that but he can’t help it

He’s respectful to both his mom and grandma, no one else really

Lacks a filter, has accidentally hurt people’s feelings because of it

Not a big physical touch guy 

He has to be very comfortable with you to initiate touch

All talk 

Like he can’t fight

He’s gotten by on physical appearance alone 

The guys hide behind him all the time and when Y/N needs him, his tall looming presence behind her has people running for the hills

He’s punched one person and one person only

It was Alex’s dad

Y/N Y/L/N

Born September 01, 1978

The youngest of the group

Only child

Lives with her mom

Dad walked out when she was 7

Her mom started drinking, causing the mother-daughter bond to break

Spends the night at Alex’s a lot

The first time, her bed was set up in Sophia’s room 

After everyone had gone to sleep she snuck into Alex’s room 

The next day, his parents found her sleeping at the edge of his bed with his blanket draped over the edge also to cover Alex who slept on the floor

After it happened 3 more times, they stopped trying to separate the two 

She has clothes in the bottom drawer of Alex’s dresser

Alex’s number 1 protector

They made friendship bracelets, purple yarn for her and blue for Alex 

Luke and her = sibling energy 

Likes to wear other people's clothes

Makes her feel like they’re with her and she’s not alone

Literally carrying their love with her

It started with one of the shirts her dad left behind 

She likes Alex’s hoodies, Luke’s beanies and in the Summer she’ll snag one of his sleeveless tees, Reggie’s flannels and in the Winter his leather jacket, Bobby’s t-shirts and vests

The guys knock on her door when they can’t find the item they want to wear because they know she has it

She and Alex remade their friendship bracelets to include Luke (Orange)

She made them remake them later once Bobby (Green) and Reggie (Red) became part of their little group

All 5 of them wear it no matter what

She likes to draw

Was the first to befriend Bobby in art class

She admired him from afar (because look at him) and wondered what he did, given that he always slept in the class

One time while waiting for Alex and Luke to get out of detention, she walked around school and caught Bobby in the art room

His back was to her and he wore headphones as he painted

She loved his piece and wondered why he never did anything in class

Wrote him sticky notes encouraging him to show his work

Eventually, he wrote back saying he’d reveal his work if she revealed who she was

It was a deal and they started talking more afterwards

Luke was upset when he learned she was friends with Bobby 

Mostly because he thought Bobby was a dick (a dick he tried to be friends with first but failed) 

TEASER

[moonstruck-writing]

drabble challenge | day 12: brawny

“This is ridiculous.” Reggie eyed Luke’s back as he performed push-ups. “You know, you don’t have to look so… Brawny. All the time.”

“I need to sweat the nerves.” Luke puffed out.

“Dude, we’re gonna kill it on stage,” Reggie assured. But he also felt the tingling sensation his fight or flight response elicited.

“Guys, has anyone seen my drumsticks?” Alex's panicked voice interrupted. He was roaming around anxiously, and now they knew why.

“They’re in your back pocket. Where you put them to not lose them, remember?” Luke got up and rubbed his palms on his jeans. “Band circle?”

[legolasghosty]

if this doesn't scream boggie, i don't know what does: They smell like sparkles and sunshine and I want to kiss their stupid face so bad

Bobby slammed the apartment door behind him, heading straight for the couch. He didn't slow down until he was flat on his stomach, his burning cheeks hidden by a Gayosaurus throw pillow ("Like a normal gay, but more awesome!") that Willie had found somewhere six months ago. Bobby wasn't ever sure where he found this sort of thing. He'd given up on asking when they were still in college, the two of them and Alex randomly paired up in a freshman dorm.

"What happened here?" the previously mentioned pillow finder said from somewhere above Bobby.

The soft click of Alex closing their front door properly was followed by the drummer's sigh of, "Reggie, what else."

Bobby felt the couch dip near his feet as probably Willie sat down. "You wanna talk about it, dude?" they asked. Bobby couldn't decide if their tone was sympathetic or teasing.

"No," he mumbled into the pillow.

Look, dating your bandmates didn't work out well. Reggie and Luke had been together for a bit when they were all in college and it had burned hot and fast. Bobby had been sure the band would break up for good when they called it quits. It had taken a whole new person, Luke's now queerplatonic partner and their band frontwoman Julie, to get the two of them to talk it out and become friends again. Even then, it had been a rough couple of months for all of them.

So, no matter how pretty Reggie was or how sometimes Bobby thought he leaned a bit closer to their shared mic than necessary, they couldn't be a thing. It wouldn't work.

"Dude, you can't just keep ignoring it and hope it goes away," Alex sighed, now sounding much closer. "Remember how I tried that and it failed? Epicly?"

Bobby lifted his head just enough to shoot Alex a glare. "That's not the same thing," he protested. "No offense, Willie."

"None taken," they chuckled. "But Lex has a point. Shoving it down doesn't work, and it might just turn out better than you think."

Bobby dropped his face back down to the pillow and flipped them both off. "No."

He felt a foot nudging his shoulder, indicating that Alex had found his perch on the back of the couch above him. "Bobby, Reggie likes you back, you guys just have to get your acts together and talk about it."

"Hypocrite," Bobby mumbled. But he groaned and rolled onto his side, glancing up at his roommates and best friends. Maybe talking it out would help erase his stupid crush on his bandmate. "I know he maybe thinks I'm cute or whatever, but it wouldn't work. The band almost broke up when Luke and Reggie did, and I can't be responsible for doing that to you guys. I just can't."

"Okay, I get that," Alex began. "But what makes you so sure the two of you wouldn't work? I mean yeah, Luke and him didn't go so well, but there were a lot of reasons for that."

"Very much including the fact that they were 19 and neither of them had actually been in a serious relationship before," Willie added. "And I love them both, but their communication skills aren't the best now, let alone two years ago."

"You and Reg are good for each other," Alex continued, giving Bobby that heavy, open stare that he usually masked behind several layers of sarcasm. "He gets you out of your routine and trying new things. You help him slow down and talk things out."

"You're both better people for being around each other," Willie agreed, one hand resting on Bobby's ankle. Then the corner of his mouth quirks up. "Not to mention the fact that you guys practically make out at the mic every other song."

"We do not!" Bobby insisted, forcing himself up on one elbow. "Mic sharing is totally normal."

"Mic sharing, yes. But you two take the phrase 'eat the mic' a little too literally," Alex laughed. Then his amusement faded. "But seriously. You like him. He likes you. And we're all semi-functioning adults who can at least pretend to be emotionally mature. At least talk to him."

"Even if you decide not to give it a shot, at least you'll have been honest with each other," Willie said.

"But what if it messes everything up?" Bobby asked, hating how small his voice sounded. "I mean, yeah, he smells like sparkles and sunshine and I wanna kiss his stupid face so bad, but I don't want it to destroy the band. Or our whole... family."

Willie's expression is now solidly in the sympathetic zone. "But what if it makes it better?" they countered. "I mean, Lex and I were great as friends, and we're better as partners, and we're both better friends to the rest of you because of being together."

The smile Alex gave them for that is enough to make Bobby fake gag and throw the Gayosaurus pillow at them. But... maybe they're right.

"Hug time?" Alex questioned.

Bobby just nodded, suddenly feeling heavy at the possibility of having Reggie as something other than a bandmate. But heavy in a good way, like crawling under his weighted blanket at the end of a long day.

Alex dropped down onto the couch beside him, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and pulling him in. Bobby let Willie resituate both of their legs on his lap. He usually wasn't one for being manhandled by his friends, but it was nice to let them take care of him every once in a while. He tried to focus on the clean and salty scent of Alex's hoodie and the easy movement of Willie's thumb on his ankle.

Maybe, just maybe, they had a point. At the very least, he owed it to Reggie to let him be a part of the conversation, right? Bobby let out a soft sigh. This meant he'd have to actually have a conversation about it with the bassist. But he was getting better at those at least. It was 'healthy' or something. Maybe it would be okay. Maybe they would be okay.

"So..." Willie mused after a while, "what do sparkles and sunshine smell like?"

"Screw you," Bobby groaned, hiding his face in Alex's chest.

[girlstuffnorp]

Chapters: 4/? Fandom: Julie and The Phantoms (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Julie Molina/Luke Patterson Characters: Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Caleb Covington, Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina, Rose Molina Additional Tags: Whump, whumptober2020, strangling tw, Hurt, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Happy Ending

Summary: An AU whump take on the events of Episode 9 (Stand Tall) as part of Whumptober 2020 (Day 1). What if Luke, Alex and Reggie hadn't managed to escape Caleb's hold over them during their performance of Nothing To Lose? What about the Orpheum? What about Julie?

Tag list: @between-two-fandoms @madninjagirl14 @angryknightstatesmantrash @unsolicitedtreespanking @professional-fangirl22 @fannafiction @theatricalfangirl @onplanetmars @juliephantoms @perfectharmony @inkbloodpaperandbone @oswinelevenforever @we-are-all-flynn @fangirlwithanxiety @lirarey @60sec400 @ri-jane @legolasghosty (Will add more people if I’ve missed anyone. Also, feel free to ignore this if you’ve moved on from the fandom xD)

[merihn]

Happy @jatpfebfanfest to @invisibleraven! I hope you like these ❤️

[wr0temyway0ut]

We Will Shine Together, Bright Forever

Summary: It's the four year anniversary of the day the boys came into Julie's life. A little snapshot of where they are today and how they celebrate.

Link in reblogs!

[onlygenxhere]

On this featured Friday I’m recommending a fic by @jmrothwell. She has so, SO many JATP stories to choose from. I went with an adorable short fic about Flynn, Luke, AND Reggie all thinking Julie is attractive called Glasses.

Julie, Flynn, Luke, and Reggie's study session takes a detour when Julie puts her glasses on.

[1mnobodywhoareyou]

maybe if it smelled like you

A fun little Boggie fic that happened because almost a fucking year ago @narcissusbrokenmirror and I were talking about Alex and Reggie and height? And it led to us talking about Reggie's style. Which led to this. Some of y'all may remember seeing snippets from "SC and Clothes" and this is part of that. Maybe it'll be a series. Maybe it won't. For now, some Boggie fluff:

Read on ao3 or below (938 words | gen):

“Hey, Reg?” Bobby calls.

Reggie pops his head into his bedroom.“Yeah?” 

“Any reason you have this folded here all nice?” Bobby asks. He grabs the t-shirt that had caught his attention, holding it up for Reggie.

Reggie blushes as he answers. “Nope.” 

He quickly turns and leaves the room.

Bobby shakes his head with mild amusement. He turns the shirt around to look at it more closely. He’d definitely gotten this one for Reggie. Had even bought it specifically for him instead of just passing on his own reject tees like usual - they all tried to give Reggie some variety for his wardrobe but for some reason he was perfectly content with his bulk packs of tees and tanks. Luckily the clothes never went to waste, most of them wind up in Luke’s closet eventually anyway.

Except this one, apparently. Thankfully. But it doesn’t look like Reggie’s even worn it once. 

Bobby folds it back up and returns it to where he’d found it. He paces Reggie’s room as he waits for Reggie to return. It unfortunately doesn’t take long to get bored and there’s nothing new to inspect in the space, but he tries. 

He finally decides to just settle on Reggie’s bed. Reggie’s taking even longer than usual and there’s only so much Bobby can do to kill the time.

Just as Bobby’s starting to get worried, Reggie appears in the doorway. He’s wrapped in a fluffy robe and running a towel over his still-wet hair.

Bobby chokes on air at the sight. He manages to recover quickly. “Glad you didn’t die,” he says dryly.

Reggie’s brow furrows, clearly confused by the sentiment. “I wasn’t gone that long!” he insists.

“Long enough,” Bobby says. He just barely manages to keep his face from falling into a pout but the whine in his voice persists. 

Thankfully Reggie doesn’t seem to notice. He throws his towel into the laundry hamper before heading over to his dresser, digging through his drawers and pulling out his go-to outfit: black tank, black jeans, black socks, even black fucking briefs. It’s all so clearly from those gifted bulk packs every Christmas and birthday that Reggie’s perfectly content with. It almost makes Bobby sad to think about. But at least Reggie’s getting gifts, he supposes. 

Bobby’s gaze migrates back to the shirt neatly folded on Reggie’s desk and then back to Reggie.

“Why don’t you wear that one?” he suggests, nodding toward the tee in question. 

Reggie flushes bright red as he stammers for a moment before finally finding his words. “I don’t wanna wreck it.”

It takes a minute for the meaning to land but when it does, Bobby’s mouth curls up into a teasing smirk, “You don’t want to wear the thing meant to be worn because you don’t want to wreck it?”

“Yeah,” Reggie utters bashfully as he nods. “It’s special.”

Bobby’s face softens. “You know it’s just a t-shirt, right? Like, it’s replaceable if something does happen to it?”

Reggie shrugs, “‘s not the same.”

“You don’t even wear it around the house?”

Reggie shakes his head. “No. Don’t even wear it to bed.” 

Reggie’s eyes widen as he realizes what he’d just said and Bobby feels his own face warm. 

“But you could,” Bobby counters softly.

Reggie shrugs again. “Maybe if it smelled like you. I just…” he pauses and covers his face with his hands. “I have no idea why I said that,” he cries. “Backspace! Erase! Time travel! God, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”

Bobby reaches out and grabs Reggie, pulling him toward the bed so he’s standing in front of him. “Do you want it to smell like me?”

Reggie nods, his face still hidden behind his hands. 

Bobby reaches up to pull them down. He looks up at Reggie earnestly, “I can make that happen you know.”

“Really?”

Bobby nods. “Yeah, I’ll wear it for a bit and give it back to you.”

“Okay.” Reggie looks down and must notice how close they are. He promptly takes a step back.

His gaze travels back up to Bobby’s face. “I uh… I need to get dressed.”

“Okay.” Bobby acknowledges him but doesn’t move. They’ve all gotten changed in front of each other countless times so doesn’t think anything of it. 

“Can you…” Reggie starts to ask, his voice shy.

Bobby directs a confused look his way but quickly catches on. “You want me to turn around?”

Reggie nods. “Please?”

Bobby smiles at him as he readily agrees. “Sure.” 

He pulls his legs up onto the bed and turns so he’s facing the headboard, allowing Reggie the privacy he’s after.

“I’m done!” Reggie announces after a few moments.

“Alright, are we ready to go now?” Bobby asks as he turns back around. 

Reggie raises an eyebrow at him and points to his hair with a sheepish grin. 

Bobby rolls his eyes. “Right. Of course not. The Reggie Peters coif takes time.”

Reggie beams at him and bounds back out of the bedroom. Reggie doesn’t like the idea of mirrors in his bedroom so the bathroom is “where the magic happens.” Once Reggie found his signature style (from head to toe), he committed to it and he committed to it hard. None of the others really understand it but this is his thing so it’s just become another part of Reggie that they’ve learned to love.

Bobby lays back over Reggie’s bed. He rests his head on his hands as he waits. And if his thoughts continue to wander toward the boy in the other room, well that’s nobody’s business but his.

[mac-lilly]

"Can't I come with you?" || "You know you can't"

platonic pairing of choice?

Thank you. Your prompt gave me the idea to write a companion piece to Just one more night. Now it's Reggie's time to shine.

Read full version on AO3

Tomorrow

Reggie is running late. And that’s bad. So he hurries, scuttling around his room, gathering his belongings, and stuffing them into a black backpack. Yet, despite his hurry, Reggie pauses by his mirror. He can’t help it. He has to admire his perfectly coiffed hair. Yup. He has absolutely nailed his look today.

Reggie puts on a charming smile, winking suggestively at his own reflection. “Ladies!”

“Are you flirting with yourself?”

Reggie shrieks and leaps into the air, twisting his body like a cat to get a look at the intruder. His little brother is standing in the doorway.

“Stevie,” Reggie gasps. “Why didn’t you knock?”

With his round face and sandy hair, Steve Peters takes more after their mother. However, they share the same pale eyes, and like his brother, freckles are splattered across Stevie’s nose and cheeks.

“I did,” Stevie says, shrugging nonchalantly before, all of a sudden, he averts his eyes. Reggie thinks that’s odd. Stevie isn’t a bubbly kind of person. He’s never been. But the way he’s shifting his weight from one foot to another, arms behind his back, haunted eyes roaming around the room … He looks uncomfortable in his own home.

Then Reggie hears it. Hears them. Their parents’ raised voices are booming through the house. Reggie flinches. He doesn’t need to ask how long this has been going on. He can guess. From the number of insults they’re hurling at each other, they’ve been fighting for at least half an hour. In his rush to hunt down his stuff for their gig, he had been too preoccupied to notice them.

Plastering on a big, bright smile, he spreads his arms in a welcoming gesture.

“Be my guest.”

Stevie huffs and rolls his eyes. But he accepts the invitation anyway. The door falls shut behind him, muffling their parents’ voices. He’s halfway into the room when he spots Reggie’s half-packed rucksack and his bass sitting in its case. He stops dead in his tracks.

“Where’re you going?” he asks. He blinks slowly while he pieces the bigger picture together. At once, his entire face lights up. “Are you having a show?”

Reggie can’t help it. A big grin stretches his face, and he puffs out his chest.

“Yep.”

In one swift movement, Reggie jumps on his desk chair. For a moment, he’s swaying, arms flailing as he struggles to regain his balance on the swiveling chair. Stevie snorts. He isn’t a cheerful soul. But even he can’t conceal his excitement. He’s looking up at his brother, eyes alight with curiosity.

Reggie’s heart swells with pride. He isn’t going to disappoint him.

Reggie isn’t good at stuff – he knows that. He likes school. But his grades suck. He also likes his job at Trader Joe’s. He likes wheeling the cart around. It’s fun. But yesterday, he got a bit too excited, crashing half a dozen carts into a lamp post. Again. So, yeah, he isn’t good at that either.

The one thing he is really good at is playing his bass. Damn good. He knows that. And so does his little brother.

So, that’s what Reggie does.

He plays Now or Never on an air bass. As he does, he closes his eyes, imagining a huge crowd in front of him. He imagines a vast sea of people, growing ecstatic as they play their anthem. They scream. They shout. Their arms are in the air, swaying along to the beat. The atmosphere is electric. Behind him, Alex is wailing on his drums. To his left, Bobby focuses on his guitar, supporting Luke as best as he can. Luke, who is stage and center, working his magic. His music. The energy that’s … that’s just contagious. You can’t escape Luke’s spell. Not that Reggie wants to.

Music has always helped him. It has always been there. Music is a source of comfort as well as a way to block out his parents’ endless fights. Reggie can’t imagine a life without it.

He’s hitting the final notes, and the melody slowly rings out. There’s a moment of silence. Then, the crowd starts chanting their names, frantic. Reggie feels like he’s floating. It’s the best feeling ever.

And then he opens his eyes again, and the clamoring fans evaporate – except for one. Stevie is still

there. And he’s beaming up at him, and Reggie has to correct himself. This is the best feeling ever.  

He mirrors his brother’s grin – his smile so wide, his cheeks hurt.   

Aside from playing the bass, there’s one more thing that Reggie’s really good at. Being an older brother. Or, well, he’s trying, at least. Dad’s often away for work – he’s attending business meetings all around the globe. With his dad frequently absent, his mom has devoted herself to philanthropy. She’s hosting all sorts of charity events. So, with both parents being immersed in their projects, it’s mostly been Reggie who’s been left looking out for Stevie. It’s Reggie who takes his brother on trips to the zoo or the amusement park. He’s the one who helps Stevie pick a birthday gift for a friend when he’s invited to a party. And so far, he’s never missed one of Stevie’s Little League Baseball games.

And Reggie usually doesn’t mind doing it. It loves his brother. (Sometimes, though, he wishes their parents would see them. Both of them.)

Anyway … music, his friends, and his baby brother – these are the things Reggie truly loves. (And puppies, of course. And hamsters. And pizza.)

Then, his gaze falls on his digital alarm clock. His smile falters; his eyes bug comically. It’s 6:48 pm. The bus leaves at 7.

“Oh, shoot! I’m late.” He’s totally lost track of time. He jumps off the chair and scrambles to grab his bag and bass. As he shoulders his bass, he catches a glimpse of Stevie. His shoulders are slumped, and his head is hanging low. He’s fidgeting with the hem of his Alvin and the Chipmunks t-shirt, twisting the material between his fingers. Reggie has a terrible sinking feeling.

“Can’t I … Can’t I come with you?”

Stevie’s voice is small.

Reggie’s heart plunges. “You know you can’t.”

Stevie sniffles, and he’s biting his lip – probably to stop the tears from flowing down his face. Reggie’s heart breaks. He hates it.

He really does. He doesn’t want to leave Stevie behind. He doesn’t deserve to be stuck in a place like this – with parents who are more invested in their own drama than their kids. (They haven’t cooled off yet. Reggie can still hear them hurling accusations at each other.)

But Reggie has a gig. A mega important, life-changing gig. And as much as he loves his brother, he can’t take him along. If it wasn’t for their fake IDs, they wouldn’t be allowed to enter – let alone play – the venue. Bringing an elementary schooler along for the ride? Yeah, they’d kick them out immediately. And Reggie can’t risk that. He can’t do that to the band. The band is his second family.

Still, seeing his brother dejected like this … Reggie can’t stand it. Guilt churned inside him.    

“Hey, tell you what,” Reggie says, big, goofy smile back in place. “Tomorrow, we do whatever you want.”

Stevie perks up. He wrinkles his freckled nose. “Anything?”

“Sure. We can go to the arcade. Oh, or the zoo. Or the movies!” Honestly, Reggie doesn’t mind. He likes the arcade. And the zoo. And the movies. They made a sequel to Free Willy. Reggie can’t wait to watch it.  

Stevie hums, deliberating his options. “Can you …” He hesitates. He’s biting his lip, unsure. “Can you show me how to play?” He points at the bass strapped to Reggie’s shoulder.

Reggie almost topples over. “You want to learn how to play bass?”

Stevie shrugs. He’s not meeting Reggie’s eye when he says, “It looks kinda cool.”

Scratch his earlier emotional high. Right now, Reggie is feeling like he’s soaring among the stars.  

“It is very cool,” Reggie says, nodding meaningfully. And suddenly, he’s got a new idea. He rips his bag open and rummages through it. Eventually, he produces a CD case and a white t-shirt from its depths. He shows Stevie the CD.

“That’s our demo,” Reggie explains. Then he unfolds the t-shirt so Stevie can see its front. The Sunset Curve logo is printed across the chest. Stevie’s eyes bug.

“Rad, isn’t it? And you know what? You are the very first person to own one. Grabbed them this morning.”

He hands both items to his brother. Then he snatches the Diskman his dad got him from his last business trip to Japan from the bedside table. He puts it, along with a pair of headphones, on top of the small stack in his brother’s arms.

“So how about you put it on and listen to the best band in the universe for a while. And tomorrow, I’ll give you your first bass lesson.” 

“Promise?” asks Stevie, cradling his new possessions like a precious treasure. His eyes are wide and pleading and full of hope.

“Cross my heart and hope to die,” Reggie vows.

When he arrives downtown, he’s still late. But thankfully not too late. After a rainy summer day, Sunset Boulevard is now packed with people enjoying a late evening stroll. Reggie has to weave his way through the milling crowd to make it to the venue in time. Eventually, the familiar sign comes into view, and he slows down. The neon lights of The Orpheum are like a beacon. Its electric buzz fills the air, and Reggie skids to a halt right under the neon-blue sign. He’s out of breath. Leaning over onto his knees, he needs a moment to catch his breath. As he waits for his racing heart to slow down, he notices the crowd for the very first time. A bunch of people have gathered in front of the entrance, waiting for the doors that won’t open for another hour or two.

His heart leaps with joy. They have fans. Real fans! Fans who are willing to wait for hours to see them. Wow! Suddenly, he’s feeling dizzy. His head’s spinning, and he takes a staggering step back to take in the whole picture. There’s a dozen of them – mostly girls, as he does not fail to notice – and–

A figure, half obscured by shadows, is lurking in a dark alleyway, hands shoved into the pockets of his oversized flannel.

Reggie blinks hard.

“Luke?”

Luke jumps and whirls around. In the diffuse streetlight, his face looks gaunt, and his eyes are puffy.

“Bro, you’re alright?”

Luke sniffles. “Yeah.” His voice is raw, and he hastily wipes his face with the sleeve of his flannel.

Listen, Reggie might be slow on the uptake at times. But he can read his friends like an open book. He knows what’s going on. Unfortunately, it’s a delicate subject, and like always, Luke is being stubbornly evasive about it. He’ll never admit it. Instead, his friend tilts his head back, chin pointing at something above the entrance.

Reggie cranes his neck. He spies the marquee. His jaw drops.

He’s been so distracted by the fans – the prospect of having fans – he hasn’t paid the marquee any attention. Now he does.  

SUNSET CURVE SHOWCASE – SOLD OUT

“That’s us!” Reggie laughs in disbelief. He’s feeling exhilarated. Delirious, even. They did it. They fucking did it!

“It is,” Luke confirms, a big grin stretching his face. His eyes are still glassy. “And tomorrow, we’ll be legends.”

Reggie pumps a fist into the air, then slings an arm around Luke’s shoulder, drawing him in. Luke staggers and bumps into his side, and they both laugh. A moment later, Luke’s arm is wrapped around him, pulling him into a half hug.

Together, they stumble towards the back doors of The Orpheum. Towards their future.

Tomorrow will be the first day of the rest of their lives. 

And he can’t wait to tell Stevie about it.